Roswell Inc’s Economic Development Report

by Steve Stroud

On January 25, 2019, we hosted our annual State of the City event at The Country Club of Roswell. More than 300 business, civic, and elected leaders from both Roswell and around the region attended to hear an update on economic development in Roswell, a look back at 2018, and a preview of what’s to come in 2019. Roswell Mayor Lori Henry also gave a State of the City address regarding city business.

Key highlights from our presentation included an overview of our success in economic and business development from 2018, which included:

We are excited to announce the release of our 2018 Annual Report, which provides an overview of the work and impact that our organization has on the community.

“This year’s report is filled with success stories of the work we’ve done together to help foster a robust and healthy economic climate in Roswell,” said Steve Stroud, executive director of Roswell Inc. “We are proud to share this report with the community and look forward to another year ahead.”

Planet Fitness

WellStar North Fulton Hospital's Pain & Spine Center

Tap & Six

The Joanne Curtin Team

Serendipity Gifts and Boutique

Congratulations to Serendipity Gifts and Boutique on its new location in Roswell! Located on Oak Street, Serendipity has been a part of the city’s small business community for more than a decade and continues to call Roswell its home.

The Whiskey Project

Welcome to Roswell, The Whiskey Project! Located on Oak Street, in the building previously occupied by Oak Street Café, this new Roswell restaurant and whiskey lounge is bringing a more than 1,000 types of bourbon, whiskey, scotch and a chef-driven menu to the community.

Vickers Roswell

Welcome to Roswell, Vickers Roswell! This new apartment complex and mixed-use development, located on the corner of Canton Street and Woodstock Road, is now leasing one-, two-, and three-bedroom boutique apartment homes, as well as space for retailers directly below the units.

The Summit Wellness Group

Welcome, The Summit Wellness Group, a Psychology Today verified treatment center! Located off Hembree Road, this group specializes in addiction treatment for adults. Offering services from group therapy to physical therapy, the team at Summit Wellness strives to help its clients reach their unique goals.

Restoration Church

Congratulations to Restoration Church on the opening of its Learn N Play preschool program! We’re happy you’ve decided to build on your services and provide educational resources to Roswell’s community.

Mojo Vinyl

Congratulations to Mojo Vinyl on its new location! Now located on Alpharetta Highway, directly across from the Southern Skillet property, Mojo Vinyl is a record store bringing Roswell music of all genres.

Plum Café

Congratulations to Plum Café on its one-year anniversary! Located in Plum Village, off Canton Street in Roswell’s historic district, Plum Café serves an organic and plant-based menu. This family-owned restaurant hopes to inspire patrons to eat healthy while connecting over a meal.

Pop’s Garage Fabrication

Congratulations to Pop’s Garage Fabrication! This family-owned full-service body shop and retail store is located off Alpharetta Highway and specializes in building and servicing custom bikes for motorcycle enthusiasts.

Bistro VG

Congratulations to Bistro VG on its one-year anniversary of new ownership under the Sedgwick Restaurant Group! Located on Crossville Road, this restaurant has been a part of Roswell’s restaurant scene for a number of years and serves up a chef-driven, French-inspired menu.

Ankle & Foot Centers of Georgia

Welcome to Roswell, Ankle and Foot Centers of Georgia! Located on Holcomb Bridge Road, across from the Brookwood Grill shopping center, this Ankle and Foot Center’s location specializes in a variety of care for foot and ankle health.

Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar

Welcome to Roswell, Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar! Located inside the Sprouts shopping center off Alpharetta Highway, this delicious new restaurant has locations in Decatur, Smyrna, Chamblee, and is now serving American-style food in Roswell.

Curious as to what’s happening in the Roswell Village Shopping Center at the corner of Alpharetta Highway and Holcomb Bridge Road? Owned by Sterling Organization, the shopping center has been undergoing a major redevelopment and revitalization of the 149,261-square-foot center since construction began in April 2018.

Sterling has also announced six confirmed tenants for the center, including Ross Dress for Less, Marshall’s, Crunch Fitness, Lush Nails, Goldfish Swim School, and Phenix Salon Suites, which will locate in Roswell Village once construction is complete. Thirteen tenants, including the six publicly announced businesses listed here, have secured spaces in the development to date. Twelve additional spaces currently remain available. Construction is expected to finish in summer 2019.

According to Sterling, the shopping center sees a traffic count of 95,000 cars a day since it faces two major highways. With a new look and new retailers, including three large anchor stores, the revamped center is set to once again become one of the most sought-after destination shopping areas in our community.

The Roswell Inc team has continued to be a resource to Sterling throughout the development of this project, and has specifically helped with the recruitment of multiple tenants, the approval of shopping center signage, and navigating city hall to receive a land disturbance permit.

So, where do these hotel projects currently stand since the news broke for each? We’d like to provide you with a quick project update for all four hotels.

Home 2 Suites and Springhill Suites, which are both located off Westside Parkway, broke ground in 2018 and are projected to finish construction by late 2019, early 2020. Combined, these two projects will bring 196 rooms to the city for business travelers.

Element by Westin, located between Home 2 Suites and Springhill Suites, has received its land disturbance permit (LPD) and will break ground by the end of 2018. Element will have 91 rooms, an outdoor pool, restaurant, full-service bar, and a 250+ capacity meeting space.

Once complete, these three business class hotels will bring an estimated 150+ new jobs and approximately $39 million in capital investment to Roswell, along with an estimated $598,000+ in annual revenue generation for the city.

Canton Place Development’s Boutique Hotel and mixed-use development, which is planned to open in Roswell’s Historic District, will include 125 rooms and a variety of unique, curated retail and restaurant space. This $88.2 million project is hoping to break ground by the end of 2018, with plans to be completed by the end of 2020. (This paragraph has been updated since it was originally published to reflect the correct number of hotel rooms as 125, not 192 as originally posted.)

Springhill Suites Site

Home2Suites Site

These project announcements have come within a year of the key findings we released from our hotel feasibility study in the spring of 2017, which was conducted by Atlanta-based hospitality research firm The Highland Group. The study indicated a strong demand for business class hotel options in Roswell, and this data has had a significant impact on Roswell’s recent growth in hotel presence, as it has helped our organization work with and secure each hotelier. Learn more about the study here.